Cast: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Cody Horn

Certificate: 15 (R)

Rating: 8/10

Overall: Too much plot, not enough stripping. Hilarious, light-hearted first half, slightly depressing, moral second half. Really entertaining, with a slightly depressing turn about half-way through as an attempt to make this a meaningful film.

I'd been looking forward to this film for about 2 months, since the trailers hit, promising sexy men dancing in very little on the big screen. What isn't to like??

And I don't think it disappoints.

It starts of, no holds barred, with a head-to-toe shot of the back of Channing Tatum walking from a bedroom where there are two women. Living the "good" life, by all accounts.

We learn that Tatum's character, Mike, is an entrepreneur, who also has been working as a labourer on a building site. This is where we meet Adam, or the Kid.



After an aborted attempt to teach Adam to tile roofs, later that night Mike makes and impulsive decision to introduce Adam to Exquisite, the strip club.

After meeting the other dancers (Ken, Big Dick Rickie, Tarzan, Tito...), we finally get to see the reason we are all there. The stripping.

And... yep. :D I was happy.

They all can dance. Particularly Channing Tatum. And they are all beautiful specimens of the male form. And it was full of funnys. Penis pump anyone?

My only issue with this part of the film, which was a case of Adam/the Kid joining the club and reaping the benefits, was that they kept cutting the dances off. Just as you were getting into it...

As Adam is getting deeper into this hedonistic lifestyle, Mike befriends his sister, Brooke. Brooke is the disapproving family member. Mike promises to keep Adam on the straight and narrow (as much as possible). Her disapproval, however, didn't feel evangelistic (if that is the right word), but more like her looking out for her brother. She had a slightly weird laugh though.

As Adam spirals, and Mike finds himself seeing his lifestyle from the outside in, the moral side of the film appears. Don't do drugs etc. etc.

It gets a bit deep around this point, with Adam loosing $10,000 worth of ecstasy, with no means to pay off the dealers. Mike pays it for him from his savings, which he had spent the last 6 years saving to start his dream business with (custom furniture). Mike, with one last hurrah on stage, realises he can't continue this lifestyle by following his fellow strippers to Miami. Channing Tatum shows off his acting chops here too. The realisation wasn't heavy handed and his heart-felt plea to Brooke showed some vulnerability.

The second act was great, but the first act was better. I'm not going to lie but I wanted more stripping please! Maybe extended/full performances on the DVD?